Colin Mochrie, a man known worldwide for working without a script, tackles the classics in this surprising, delightful collection of stories

Borrowing from a well-known improv game, Mochrie takes the first and last lines from familiar classics and reimagines everything in between. With the same engaging humour he exhibits on stage, television, and film, he takes the reader in bizarre and hilarious new directions.

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Product Description

Review

“Colin’s greatest attributes are his unique sense of humor, his kindness to his fellow man, and his uncanny ability to retain everything I’ve taught him the last 30 years.” - Ryan Stiles

“I adore Colin Mochrie. I think he is brilliant, so talented AND a dear sweet man. Also, he’s funny as well and a good kisser!” - Florence Henderson

“Colin Mochrie is a comedic and creative force to be reckoned with. Therefore, this book is a literary force to be reckoned with. If you are too lazy for reckoning, just read this book and everything will work out nicely.” - Brad Sherwood

“I love Colin. I love his voice. I love his lips. I love his eyeballs. His pecs. And the rest of him. I’m going to Paris with him soon.” - Richard Simmons

About the Author

Colin Mochrie was born in Scotland and grew up in Canada. He is best known for his roles on Whose Line Is It Anyway? and This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and as host of Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader? He was influenced by the writings of Charles Dickens, Dr. Seuss, and Stephen King, and fulfilled his lifelong ambition to write a book after his agent forced him into it. Mochrie lives in Toronto with his wife, Debra, his son, Luke, and two dogs that won't come when called.

Most helpful customer reviews

If you're even a casual fan of Colin Mochrie, then you already know that he is a funny, funny man. He has a peculiar sort of humor, blending Canadian stereotypical politeness with an often surprising edge, but he is as clever as he is frantic. When I first hear he was taking the Whose Line is it Anyway approach to a short story collection with Not Quite the Classics, I knew I was going to have to read it.

A Study in Ha Ha opens the collection with a Sherlock Holmes homage so absurd, so inconceivable, it works astoundingly well. In it, Holmes decides to make a study of jokes, with the intention of becoming the world's first stand-up comic. Moby: Toupee or Not Toupee is a tale of a different sort, a blackly comic horror story about a bald man who lacks confidence, and the living toupee that does far more than just boost his self-esteem.

One of the early highlights of the collection is Casey at the Bar, a straight up homage of Casey at the bat, with Colin's version being the story of a washed up Leaf's goalie. Funny stuff, and as it enjoys a few wildly humorous tangents. My favorite entry, however, has to be A Tale of Two Critters. It's written as a very stuffy Dickensian tale, capturing the narrative essence of the original, which actually suits the story of poor old Wile E. Coyote very well. Without spoiling it, let's just say that anybody who's ever wanted to see the roadrunner get his due won't be disappointed!

The Cat and My Dad is another rhyming tale, this time putting a very Seussian spin on the post-apocalyptic zombie story. It's a fun story, surprisingly dark given the singsong verse, and it reminds us precisely why polite, law-abiding, poorly-armed Canadians would have a hard time with zombies.Read more ›